The Rectified Podcast

Most e-commerce brands pour money into paid ads before their foundation is solid, and that's exactly why they're not converting.

In this episode, Sandy sits down with Nora Arzoumanian, Head of E-Commerce at Mobilia, with over two decades of experience scaling e-commerce for product-based brands across multiple industries. Together, they break down what actually drives e-commerce conversions, why email marketing and SMS outperform paid ads for product brands, and what small and mid-size brands can do today to move the needle without burning through their budget.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• Why your paid ads are not converting and what to fix first

• How to use email marketing and SMS to drive consistent revenue for your product brand

• The trust signals every e-commerce website needs to reduce friction and increase conversions

• The difference between SEO and GEO and what it means for product brand visibility

• How to optimize your e-commerce website for both search engines and real buyers

Whether you are just launching your DTC brand or trying to scale past a plateau, this episode is packed with practical e-commerce marketing strategies you can apply immediately.

⚡️Join the waitlist to be notified about our monthly workshops ➡️ https://learn.rectified.co/2026-workshop-waitlist

⚡️Join the Rectified Founders Community, a FREE space where you connect, exchange ideas, and support each other ➡️ community.rectified.co/scalepartner

Nora on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/noraarzoumanian/

Find me here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sandydedeian/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sandydedeian

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandydedeian/

Chapters: 

00:00 Meet Nora Arzoumanian

07:18 Paid Ads Reality Check

10:20 Email Marketing Goldmine

20:27 Selling High Ticket Online

25:46 Website Content and UGC

29:29 Analytics and Journey Mapping

31:57 SEO Meets GEO

37:44 Designing for Humans and AI

40:31 Three Quick Wins

What do you do when your brand name feels like a barrier to growth? In today’s episode, I sit down with Tamar Panossian, the visionary behind 57 Végane, to discuss her bold decision to launch Oudélic.

Instead of a simple rebrand, Tamar is tackling the "Great Vegan Reset of 2026" head-on by moving away from ultra-processed "faux meats" and introducing a clean, high-protein, plant-based staple designed for everyone. 

In this episode, we cover:

• The Pivot from 57 Végane to Oudélic: Why Tamar decided to keep her original brand while launching a second one to reach a broader, non-vegan audience.

• The "Great Vegan Reset" of 2026: Understanding the massive consumer shift toward transparency, clean labels, and recognizable ingredients.

• Scaling via Co-Packing: The emotional and operational challenge of "letting go of your baby" to move production to a large-scale facility.

• CPG Logistics & Family Business: The reality of managing delivery, rising costs, and working alongside parents in a growing startup.

• The #1 Advice for CPG Founders: Why you should stop using your personal cash and start looking for grants and networking within your industry.

⚡️Join the waitlist to be notified about our monthly workshops ➡️ https://learn.rectified.co/2026-workshop-waitlist

⚡️Join the Scale Partner Community, a FREE space where founders connect, exchange ideas, and support each other ➡️ community.rectified.co/scalepartner

Website: https://57vegane.com/

57 Végane on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/57vegane/

Oudélic on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oudelic_officiel/

Find me here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sandydedeian/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sandydedeian

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandydedeian/

Chapters:

0:00 – Introduction: The Evolution of an Entrepreneur

2:15 – Why a new brand? Introducing Oudélic

4:45 – Navigating the "Great Vegan Reset": Clean vs. Ultra-Processed

8:10 – The Science of TVP: Pea protein and fava bean concentrates

12:30 – From the freezer to the fridge: Why placement in the "Fresh Aisle" matters

16:45 – Scaling up: Moving to a co-packer and simplifying recipes

21:20 – The reality of running a family business in 2026

25:10 – Essential advice for CPG founders: Grants and Networking

Every product category has a "need" product, the thing people buy on autopilot. Mariela Katz of Nutterie figured out that the real opportunity is in the "I want" product. The one thing people did not know they needed until they saw it. In this episode, she breaks down exactly how she built that strategy into every decision from her packaging to her collaborations to her limited edition drops.

Mariela is back for her second episode on The Rectified Podcast, and a lot has changed. She launched a brand new mini collection, landed her first retail distributor, built collaborations with Cafe Depot and Les Filles Fattoush, and did all of it while becoming a mom of three.

If you are a product founder trying to stand out in a crowded category without slashing your prices, this episode is the blueprint.

Join The 3R Strategy Workshop & let’s scale your brand together! ➡️ https://learn.rectified.co/3rstrategy

⚡️Join the Scale Partner Community, a FREE space where founders connect, exchange ideas, and support each other ➡️ community.rectified.co/scalepartner

Nutterie Website: https://nutterie.ca/

Nutterie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nutterie/

Find me here: I

nstagram: https://www.instagram.com/sandydedeian/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sandydedeian

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandydedeian/

Chapters: 

00:00 Welcome Back Mariela

00:14 Nutterie Origin Story

01:23 What Changed Since Last Time

02:39 Mom Life Balance

06:38 Expo Prep And Events

08:20 Connecting Over Selling

10:22 Local Collabs For Growth

13:46 Effort Behind The Scenes

15:39 Introducing The Minis

16:30 Unique Mix Philosophy

17:02 Retail Expansion Plans

17:39 Differentiation and Freshness

20:19 Cherry Cherry Origin Story

21:50 Packaging as Brand Edge

23:35 Packaging Costs and MOQs

25:03 Staying Lean and Vertical

28:46 Limited Editions Strategy

34:08 What’s Next for Nutterie

34:56 Final Advice for Founders

⚡️Join The 3R Strategy Workshop & let’s scale your brand together! ➡️ https://learn.rectified.co/3rstrategy

Most product founders obsess over cutting costs wherever they can. Olivia Lovenmark did the opposite. She chose the most expensive bottle on the market for Duchess Cocktails, and it became the single biggest reason her brand stood out on shelves. In this episode, she breaks down exactly why that decision worked and what product founders can learn from it.

Olivia shares her unconventional journey from Silicon Valley fintech to building a premium ready-to-drink cocktail brand from scratch, including the moment she realized no co-packer in Western Canada could produce her product and had to build her own factory nine months into launching.

If you are a product-based founder wrestling with packaging costs, distribution strategy, or the question of how to stand out in an overcrowded market, this episode is a masterclass in betting on your product and winning.

FIND ME HERE:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sandydedeian/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sandydedeian

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandydedeian/

DUCHESS COCKTAILS:

Duchess Cocktails Website: https://duchesscocktails.com/

Duchess Cocktails on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/duchesscocktails/

CHAPTERS:

00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro

02:29 Launching Duchess Cocktails

05:24 Bottle Design and Branding

09:40 Founder Life and Motherhood

16:51 Marketing Without Ads

21:51 Label Rules And Shipping

24:55 Lightning Round Favorites

27:38 Beverage Industry Myths

31:21 Legacy Plans And Wrap

If your product has a great story but your sales don't reflect it, this episode is for you. Alessio Monterosso of Ariana Naturals spent three years in near-zero sales before cracking the code and scaling to 150+ retail stores in under 12 months. He explains the exact moment everything changed and how you can apply the same thinking to your brand.

Most founders believe a powerful "why" is enough to guarantee success, but Alessio discovered a hard truth: a great story doesn't matter if you haven't mastered the mechanics of your market. We dive into the "Education Tax" of being first-to-market and the exact strategic shifts he made to go from 10 stores to 150+ in less than a year.

Alessio shares his raw journey from corporate burnout and depression to discovering the science-backed power of saffron as a natural alternative to antidepressants. He explains how the product's failure to fit the consumer's daily habits was the real obstacle — and exactly how he fixed it.

If you are a product-based founder struggling to bridge the gap between your "story" and your "sales," this episode is a tactical roadmap for finding your niche in a noisy industry.

⚡️Join the waitlist to be notified about our monthly workshops ➡️ https://learn.rectified.co/3rstrategy

⚡️Join the Scale Partner Community, a FREE space where founders connect, exchange ideas, and support each other ➡️ community.rectified.co/scalepartner

Ariana Naturals' Website: https://ariananaturals.com/Ariana Naturals on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ariananaturals_/

Find me here:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sandydedeian/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sandydedeianLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandydedeian/

Chapters:0:00 - The Gap Between Story and Sales2:15 - Corporate Burnout: The Personal Origin of Ariana Naturals5:10 - Discovering Saffron: The Science vs. The "Rice Condiment" Label8:45 - The Education Tax: Why being "First to Market" nearly killed the brand12:30 - The 3-Year Plateau: The reality of poor sales in year one16:15 - Finding Product-Market Fit: Moving from Saffron Threads to Tea Blends20:40 - Consumer Psychology: Why you must solve for existing habits24:50 - Sustainability & Giveback: 1% for Mental Health & The Planet28:30 - Scaling Distribution: How to go from 10 to 150 stores in 12 months32:45 - CHFA Vancouver: The chance encounter that changed everything37:10 - Marketing Focus: Why B2B is the smart play for bootstrapped founders41:20 - The "Solo Founder" Warning: Why you shouldn't build alone44:55 - Rapid Fire: The hardest lesson and what success looks like in 3 years

In this new episode, we discuss how Kristyn Carriere is using the “Nike” niche strategy for her product brand to go from small to mainstream.

Drawing on her experience at global giants like Godiva and Mondelez, Kristin explains why the secret to mass-market appeal often starts with a hyper-focused niche. We break down the "aspirational flywheel", designing for elite endurance athletes to capture the everyday consumer, and discuss the raw operational hurdles of scaling a physical product, from surviving a six-month manufacturing blackout to navigating the sudden inventory demands of Amazon.

Inside this episode:

✅ The "Nike" Strategy: Why winning a specific niche is the fastest way to build mainstream brand equity.✅ Supply Chain Survival: How Kristin managed six months of zero revenue after losing a manufacturer.✅ Pricing & Retention: The strategy behind raising prices by 25% while rebuilding a customer base.✅ The Amazon Reality Check: Why "instant demand" can be a nightmare for bootstrapped inventory.✅ Corporate to Founder: Transitioning from executive roles to the "all-in" reality of a startup.

⚡️Join the waitlist to be notified about our monthly workshops ➡️ https://learn.rectified.co/2026-workshop-waitlist

⚡️Join the Scale Partner Community, a FREE space where founders connect, exchange ideas, and support each other ➡️ community.rectified.co/scalepartner

Seven Summits Snacks’ Website: https://sevensummitssnacks.com/

Seven Summits Snacks on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/7summitssnacks/

Find me here: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sandydedeian/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sandydedeian

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandydedeian/

Chapters:

0:00 - The “Nike” Niche Strategy: How This Product Brand Is Going Small to Go Mainstream

4:05 - Identifying the Gap: Functional Chocolate vs. Traditional Energy Gels

7:45 - The Corporate Pivot: Applying Big Brand Experience to a Bootstrapped Startup

12:15 - Surviving the Nightmare: 6 Months of Zero Revenue and Supply Chain Crisis

18:30 - The Growth Playbook: Scaling Through Niche Marketing and Retail Expansion

23:05 - The Amazon Reality Check: Navigating Unpredictable Inventory Demands

27:10 - Founder Mindset: The "Not-To-Do" List and the Power of Networking

In this Rectified podcast episode, Sandy interviews Julian Hattem, founder of Juju’s Protein Snacks, about building a standout protein snack brand in a fast-growing global market projected at $8–$10B. 

Julien shares how his career as a personal trainer led him to create better-tasting, clean-label snacks, including Juju’s early protein donuts and the pivot to refrigerated protein cookie dough driven by customer demand and nostalgia. 

He explains product formulation priorities—clean ingredients, strong macros, 24g protein per tub, low sugar (about 3g), keto-friendly net carbs, and sweeteners like honey and monk fruit—plus the strategy behind bright, playful packaging to stand out in refrigerated cases. 

The conversation covers launching a freeze-dried version for 18–24 month shelf life and easier portability, retailer growth from Popeye’s Supplements to Metro, and upcoming expansion to Super C. 

Hattem also discusses CPG fundamentals such as the importance of team, margins, accounting, managing refrigerated logistics, raising capital through partners who believe in the product, handling manufacturing and formulation mistakes, delegating social media to his brother, and scaling carefully one account at a time while staying calm and operating in solution mode.

⚡️Join the waitlist to be notified about our monthly workshops ➡️ https://learn.rectified.co/2026-workshop-waitlist

⚡️Join the Scale Partner Community, a FREE space where founders connect, exchange ideas, and support each other ➡️ community.rectified.co/scalepartner

Juju’s Protein Snack on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jujusproteinsnacks/

Find me here: 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sandydedeian/ 

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sandydedeian 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandydedeian/

Chapters: 

00:00 Protein Snacks Boom + Meet Juju’s Founder Julian Hattem

01:40 From Personal Trainer to CPG Leap: Shutting Down the Gym

05:56 New Innovation: Freeze-Dried Cookie Dough Bites for Shelf Stability

10:22 Clean Macros Breakdown: Keto-Friendly, Low Sugar, High Protein

14:24 Branding That Pops: Fun Colors, 2-Second Hook & Clean Label Trust

18:27 Surviving CPG: Team, Margins, and Scaling Without Going Broke

20:36 First Retail Wins: Popeye’s, IGA, Metro—and Getting Buyers to Call You

25:56 Freeze-Dried Pivot: Shelf-Stable Snacking & New Tech

32:05 Founder Mindset: Staying Calm, Managing Cash Flow & Clean Accounting

39:13 The Volume Game: Margins, Manufacturing Costs & Co-Packer Tradeoffs

43:06 Final Takeaways: Belief, Plan, Team, and Relentless Action

How do you take a "fun" idea from a home kitchen to retail shelves across the country?

In this episode, I’m joined by Jenny Yu, co-founder of Ohme Foods, a Vancouver-based brand revolutionizing the healthy snack space with freeze-dried innovation. Jenny shares the raw, behind-the-scenes story of how she and her husband pivoted their brand name, bootstrapped their growth while working full-time jobs, and navigated the steep learning curve of retail expansion.

If you are a product founder wondering how to balance "on-trend" innovation with the strict financial realities of CPG, this conversation is a masterclass in resilience and strategic agility.

• The "Accidental" Business: How a New Year’s resolution and a message from a local cafe turned a weekend hobby into a wholesale brand.

• The Rebranding Mistake: Why Jenny changed her company name from "Oatme" to "Ohme" and the importance of avoiding confusing brand names for retail success.

• Bootstrapping Strategy: Why they chose not to quit their day jobs immediately and how that financial safety net allowed them to reinvest in the brand.

• The Realities of Retail: Navigating the "hardest part" of business—figuring out pricing, margins, and the cost of goods sold (COGS).

• Innovation & Trends: How Ohme stays relevant by combining "cool ideas" with massive market trends like protein and probiotics.

Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE for more deep dives into the strategy behind successful product brands.

⚡️Join the waitlist to be notified about our monthly workshops ➡️https://learn.rectified.co/2026-workshop-waitlist

⚡️Join the Scale Partner Community, a FREE space where founders connect, exchange ideas, and support each other ➡️ community.rectified.co/scalepartner

Ohme’s Website: https://www.ohmefoods.com/

Ohme on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ohmefoods

Find me here: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sandydedeian/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sandydedeian

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandydedeian/

⚡️Subscribe to our Substack and receive the podcast in your inbox ➡️ https://sandydedeian.substack.com/

Chapters: 

00:00 Introduction to Omi Foods

03:12 The Journey of Health and Wellness

06:16 Evolution of Omi Foods

09:03 Challenges in the Food Industry

12:11 Funding and Financial Strategies

15:13 Innovation and Product Development

17:20 Creating a Joyful Brand Identity

20:18 Omnichannel Marketing Strategies

24:36 The Power of Customer Connection

27:08 The Benefits of Co-Founding

29:09 Personal Growth Through Entrepreneurship

Unleash the potential of your physical product brand! Today, we’re doing something a little different. After a poll on Instagram, you asked for more personal content, so I’m sitting in the guest seat!

In this episode, I'm being interviewed by my producer, Charles (Speak Up Studio). We’re pulling back the curtain on the journey behind The Rectified Podcast and what it really looks like to build a brand in today’s Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) and retail landscape.

We’re diving into:

• Family Business Lessons: What I learned working with my father for 11 years.

• The Lebanese Touch: How resilience and navigating uncertainty shaped my business.

• Why Product Brands? The reason I focused my strategy on physical goods over services.

• Founder Mindset: The truth about the "entrepreneurial rollercoaster" and cash flow.

• The Future of Rectified: My new founder community and upcoming workshops.

Stop the "trial and error" cycle. SUBSCRIBE to get actionable insights every week and turn your vision into a scalable, profitable reality.

Join the Journey:

• Free Founder Community: community.rectified.co/scalepartner

• Workshop Waitlist: https://learn.rectified.co/2026-workshop-waitlist

• 100th Episode Live Event (Montreal): [Link]

Find me here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sandydedeian/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sandydedeian

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandydedeian/

Chapters: 

00:00 Introduction and Episode Overview

04:29 Working with Family: Challenges and Insights

14:06 Moving to Montreal and Starting Over

19:47 Understanding Product-Based Business Strategies

22:44 Launching a Podcast: From Blog to Audio

26:32 Building a Community for Entrepreneurs

31:54 Celebrating the 100th Podcast Episode

34:26 Final Thoughts and Audience Engagement

What does it actually look like to build a brand in real-time before you even have a product to sell? 

In this episode of the Rectified Podcast, Sandy sits down with Martin McNicholl, a former Canadian Armed Forces member and tech entrepreneur who exited his successful cloud solutions company to start a whiskey distillery. Martin is currently in the "waiting period". He’s documenting every step of the process long before the first bottle hits the shelf.

We dive deep into why documenting is the ultimate marketing strategy for modern founders, the importance of standard operating procedures (SOPs), and Martin's philosophy on why "Sales is vanity, Profit is sanity, and Cash is king."

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• The Power of Building in Public: Why Martin is acting as a media company first and a distillery second.

• The "Stop Doing" List: A productivity hack for entrepreneurs to scale by delegating what they hate.

• Transitioning Industries: How to bring skills from the military and tech into the world of physical products and agriculture.

• Managing the "Critical Path": How Martin used project management to fix production bottlenecks in the distillery.

• Surrounding Yourself with Experts: Why you don't need to know everything if you know who to ask.

If you are a product founder or an entrepreneur currently in the "unpolished" phase of your journey, this conversation will give you the perspective you need to keep building.

⚡️Join the waitlist to be notified about our monthly workshops ➡️ https://learn.rectified.co/2026-workshop-waitlist

⚡️Join the Scale Partner Community, a FREE space where founders connect, exchange ideas, and support each other ➡️ community.rectified.co/scalepartner

Distillerie des Cantons’ Website: https://www.distilleriedescantons.ca/

Martin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/martinmcnicoll/

Find me here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sandydedeian/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sandydedeian

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandydedeian/

⚡️Subscribe to our Substack and receive the podcast in your inbox ➡️ https://sandydedeian.substack.com/

Chapters: 00:00 - Introduction: Meet Martin McNicholl 04:50 - The Trigger: Why Martin Left a Secure Career to Start a Business 07:30 - The Risks of the Service Industry vs. Product Businesses 12:40 - The Power of SOPs: Bringing Military Discipline to Whiskey 15:00 - Exiting a Tech Company 18:45 - The "Aha" Moment in Scotland: Why Start a Distillery? 25:30 - Why Every Company Must Be a Media Company First 28:45 - Managing the 3-Year Wait32:15 - Sales is Vanity, Profit is Sanity, Cash is King 36:00 - Using Tech & Data to Optimize an Old-World Industry 41:20 - Solving the "Critical Path" in Production 45:10 - Martin’s Advice for New Product Founders 48:30 - Life is a Road, Not a Destination